This is part two of a trilogy that is now available in the UK after first being published five years ago in Australia.  It is set in 5th century Ireland and tells of the coming of the Roman Christian missionaries, determined to stamp on the pagans and convert them with whatever means necessary.  But there are already Christians established here - the White Brethren or early Celtic Church and they live happily alongside the pagans. In the first book The Circle and the Cross a band of monks arrived from Rome led by the hot-eyed foaming-at-the-mouth Palladius The Elder, encountering the peaceful enlightened inhabitants, finding allies and making trouble. Now Palladius has been banished by the Druid Council - but worse is to come. Patricius, an even more villainous bishop who wants to corrupt the druids for his own dark reasons has come from Rome and soon clashes with the High King.  Meanwhile Mawn and Sianan must ttravel to the Underworld in order to become Wanderers and finish the quest started by the bard Gobann in order to save his troubled land.

.Harp-strumming bards, tough warrior women, peaceful druids and fanatical and chauvinistic religieux.  It's all here in this novel that is listed as fantasy but is a historical novel in part although this second part has far more of a fantastic feel to it than the first part with ghosts, vision quests and dark magic sprinkled liberally about.  Personally I enjoyed reading about the factual clash between Christians of both camps, Saxons and native Irish but my enjoyment was marred by the New Age stereotyping.  Most of the Roman Christians were over-the-top evil fanatics, their Celtic counterparts peaceful and harmonious, in tune with the status quo.  I had hoped for individuals rather than stock characters slotted into a plot. 

Mor has moved out of the realm of the historical novel into that of the fantasy and it could be said that this is to Irish history what the TV series Dark Knight is to Ivanhoe.   Fast, fantastic and fun but not very factual.  Nonetheless Mor admirably manages both the ambience of the real world seen by folk who believe in the Faerie realm and people's reactions to a time of turbulent change. I was reminded at times of Christian Jacq's delineation of ancient Egypt that is also described in this way.  Plenty of battles and action, as well as times spent by the peat fire listening to stories and the music of the harp and the awe in which the Celts hold these skills made for an interesting glimpse into those long-ago days.  It will be interesting to see what happens in the last book which is part of a multimedia experience as Mor has also composed music to accompany his trilogy that is available on CD and he has illustrated the novels himself.